Justification:
This species is listed as Least Concern in because of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, tolerance to some degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

This species is known from Sonora and Hidalgo (Mexico) south to Guatemala; Bahamas Islands; Jamaica; Cuba; Cayman Islands (northwest of Jamaica); Hispaniola and Beata Islands (Simmons, 2005). It occurs from lowlands to 1,400 m (Reid, 1997).

This bat is rare and local in southeastern Mexico and possible north Central America; large aggregations are found in parts of west Mexico (Arroyo-Cabrales pers. comm.). Very common in Cuba and Dominican Republican (Mancina and Inchaustegui pers. comm.).

This species is found in dry areas, rarely in evergreen, lowlands forest (Reid, 1997). It roosts in large caves and mine tunnels, occasionally in buildings, in groups of 1 to 500. Individuals hang by one or both feet from high ceilings near the roost entrance and do not cluster. This species does not crawl on feet and thumbs like many bats, but can walk rapidly in an upside-down position. Activity starts 1 to 2 hours after sunset; when foraging, flight is slow and maneuverable, usually within 1 m of the ground. Fruit and insects are eaten; animal prey is gleaned by mouth from the ground or vegetation and carried to a night roost (Reid, 1997). A second foraging flight occurs about 2 hours before sunrise (Reid, 1997).

Timm, R. M. and Genoways, H. H. 2003. West Indian mammals from the Albert Schwartz Collection: Biological and historical information. Scientific Papers of the University of Kansas Natural History Museum 29: 1-47.